High-resolution 129I bomb peak profile in an ice core from SE-Dome site, Greenland.

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High-resolution 129I bomb peak profile in an ice core from SE-Dome site, Greenland.

J Environ Radioact. 2018 Apr;184-185:14-21

Authors: Bautista AT, Miyake Y, Matsuzaki H, Iizuka Y, Horiuchi K

Abstract
129I in natural archives, such as ice cores, can be used as a proxy for human nuclear activities, age marker, and environmental tracer. Currently, there is only one published record of 129I in ice core (i.e., from Fiescherhorn Glacier, Swiss Alps) and its limited time resolution (1-2 years) prevents the full use of 129I for the mentioned applications. Here we show 129I concentrations in an ice core from SE-Dome, Greenland, covering years 1956-1976 at a time resolution of ∼6 months, the most detailed record to date. Results revealed 129I bomb peaks in years 1959, 1962, and 1963, associated to tests performed by the former Soviet Union, one year prior, in its Novaya Zemlya test site. All 129I bomb peaks were observed in winter (1958.9, 1962.1, and 1963.0), while tritium bomb peaks, another prominent radionuclide associated with nuclear bomb testing, were observed in spring or summer (1959.3, and 1963.6; Iizuka et al., 2017). These results indicate that 129I bomb peaks can be used as annual and seasonal age markers for these years. Furthermore, we found that 129I recorded nuclear fuel reprocessing signals and that these can be potentially used to correct timing of estimated 129I releases during years 1964-1976. Comparisons with other published records of 129I in natural archives showed that 129I can be used as common age marker and tracer for different types of records. Most notably, the 1963 129I bomb peak can be used as common age marker for ice and coral cores, providing the means to reconcile age models and associated trends from the polar and tropical regions, respectively.

PMID: 29331558 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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